Publiclibrary to check out video games

Will Smith

Sunday

Mar 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Libraries aren't just depositories for books and movies.

In just a few weeks, anyone with a Burlington Public Library card will be able to check out video games as well. Technical services manager Tegan Stringfield is asking the community to donate used games to the library.

As long as they're not still being used, that is.

"We've had several requests from patrons to add games to our collection," Stringfield said. "We've ordered a few already."

She said there are between 15 and 20 games in the collection right now, mostly titles for the three current video game systems - Sony's Playstation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. The library will accept donations of games for older systems as well, including the Playstation 2, the Xbox and even the original Playstation, which was released in 1994.

As with movies and books, there will be no age restrictions when it comes to checking out games.

Stringfield said the video game collection will support research, instruction and user interest in gaming.

"There is a connection between literacy and gaming," Stringfield said. "There is a lot of teamwork in games."

The Burlington Public Library is joining hundreds of other libraries across the country in making video games available for checkout, and the American Library Association officially has endorsed video games, placing them in a similar class to board games.

Libraries are becoming more about public space than just books, and gaming at the Burlington Public Library certainly is nothing new. Public services manager Samantha Helmick introduced video game events to the library four years ago, with nights dedicated entirely to the "Guitar Hero" games. That evolved into regular gaming nights for teenagers.

In January, the library introduced adult video game tournaments centered around "mature"-rated games such as "Halo 4" and "Call of Duty: Black Ops."

Helmick said turnout for adult video game nights has been encouraging. Thirty-six people competed in the "Call of Duty: Black Ops" tournament last month, and more came to watch.

According to The NPD Group, a market research firm, nearly two out of three Americans (63 percent) have played a video game in the past six months. While that level of penetration does not begin to compete with music listening, which is nearly universal (94 percent), it exceeds the percentage of U.S. consumers who report going to the movies (53 percent) during that same time period.

"It's been fascinating," Helmick said.

Adult game tournaments are scheduled every two months, with the next one coming in May. Teen video game nights are ongoing, and the schedule of library events can be found at www.burlington.lib.ia.us.

Stringfield said so far only one game has been donated to the library, but the collection is just getting started.

To donate, call the Burlington Public Library at (319) 753-1647.

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